Generally, a typical electrical connector includes some form of dielectric or insulative housing which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals. The terminals have contact portions which are engageable by the contacts of a complementary mating connector or other connecting device. In most instances, the contacts of the mating connectors all engage simultaneously during the mating procedure.
One type of electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having an elongated flange with opposite ends and a mating portion projecting forwardly of the flange. The mating portion has opposite sides which, in some connectors, include a plurality of terminal-receiving channels in a side-by-side array extending rearwardly from a leading region of the mating portion. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing, with the terminals having blade-like contact portions in the channels. A complementary mating connector includes resilient cantilevered contacts which form sort of a mouth for receiving the mating portion of the first connector. The resilient cantilevered contacts on opposite sides of the mouth biasingly oppose each other to contact or engage the mating portion of the first connector therebetween. When the mating portion is inserted into the mouth between the resilient cantilevered contacts of the complementary mating connector, the contacts are engaged simultaneously during the mating procedure and a substantial mating force is required, particularly with the ever-increasing number of terminals mounted longitudinally of such connectors.
In addition to the problem of high insertion or mating forces, the resilient cantilevered contacts have a substantial "wear track" during the mating procedure until the contacts are fully engaged with the blade-like contact portions of the first connector. In other words, the cantilevered contacts "ride" or slide over part of the plastic housing until they engage the contacts of the other or first connector. By reducing the amount of plastic the cantilevered contacts engage, the amount of wear they undergo during mating and unmating is reduced.
The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing an electrical connector of the character described, with a system which reduces the required mating forces and also reduces or shortens the wear track of the mating contacts.